Join the Chipping Norton set
ADRIAN CAFFERY finds out why this corner of the Cotswolds draws in some of Britain’s biggest names
IF Mick Jagger or Keith Richards ever fancy a Cotswold escape, I can recommend the perfect cottage.
That’s because it is within walking distance of the Rollright Stones, some old ‘rockers’ that are even more ancient than members of the band of the similar name!
Called Cotswold Cottage, for want of a better name, the cottage is in the quaint village of Salford, two miles west of Chipping Norton, close to Oxfordshire’s border with Warwickshire.
The village is all Cotswold stone and there’s little to disturb the peace and tranquillity.
My family and I had the pleasure of staying at Cotswold Cottage this month, when it was delightfully decorated for Christmas.
A footpath leads from the village through fields to the Rollright Stones, two-and-ahalf miles away (there’s a map in the cottage). But we used winter weather as an excuse to drive to them (there’s layby parking yards away).
The stones have three elements spanning 2,000 years, and legend tells us they are the petrified remains of a king and his courtiers who got on the wrong side of a witch. The 8ft tall King Stone, circa 1,500BC, is believed to be a marker for a burial ground. It now resembles a seal balancing a ball on its nose, thanks to destructive 19th- century souvenir-hunters.
About three quarters of the original 100-odd standing stones remain and they are famously uncountable – get the same number three times in a row you’ll have a wish granted.
A few hundred yards away are The Whispering Knights, circa 3,8003,500BC. These burial chamber stones are so named because they are huddled together as if plotting against the king.
Just up the road is Wyatts Garden Centre, known for its 21 flavours of artisan ice cream made on the premises, which can be bought from the farm shop.
The market town of Chipping Norton, was built on the wool trade but is now renowned for its antique shops, one of them used to be owned by comedy legend Ronnie Barker!
The town is also known (or notorious) for the so-called ‘Chipping Norton Set’ – a group of political, media and show business pals who all live in the area.
They include former Prime Minister David Cameron, former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks and former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson. Just south of Chipping Norton is Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm, which was the subject of an Amazon Prime Video documentary series last summer.
According to outspoken Jezza, the small farm shop is full of “good, no-nonsense things you’ll like’’, produced either on the farm or by its neighbours.
Cotswold Cottage was the perfect place for us to retreat to.
The three-bed, two-bathroom (two doubles/single or double/twin/single) property has bucket loads of character, with exposed beams and a wood-burning inglenook fireplace in the cosy lounge (logs supplied).
The master bedroom has a walkin closet, the kitchen diner is spacious and well-equipped. The traditional exterior disguises an interior that’s super stylish, with expensive furnishings, and touches you’d expect from a boutique hotel.
You could say it’s the kind of luxury living a Rolling Stone would expect. Satisfaction guaranteed.